Design Is A Job

Design Is A Job is a book by Mike Monteiro that talks about many of the things people don't talk about in the creative field. A lot things you wish people would tell you early on in your career. From money, to contracts, to feedback, it's a straightforward look at what works when selling your creative talent for money.

Although the focus of the book is web design, it applies to every creative field. Just sub out the word design for film, photography, or writing and you'll see the dots connect. It's especially useful for new freelancers, but even seasoned professionals may find a new perspective in Mike's short and to-the-point book.

From the foreword, Erik Spiekermann:

"We thrive on constraints, but we hate compromise. If a design project is to be considered successful–and success is the true measure of quality–it must not only add an aesthetic dimension, but solve the problem at hand."

And from Mike:

"At the beginning of every visual design presentation, particularly in the early stages, we give a little speech, some variation of, "Today, we are going to show you some things that may not be right. If you see something that isn't working, you need to point it out. If you don't tell us what you think isn't working, we will show you the same thing again and again until we are out of time and money and you are stuck with it."